Anammox-Moving Bed biofilm reactor Data-Driven optimization: Insights into anammox process stability and performance

Anammox-Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor (MBBR) was evaluated for energy-efficient organic and nitrogen removal from domestic wastewater under varying Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD): 250-450 mg/L, Ammonium nitrogen (NH₄⁺-N): 30-80 mg/L, and Hydraulic Retention Time (HRT): 8-16 h. The results reveal that lower COD concentrations favour anammox activity, achieving the highest Total Nitrogen (TN) removal efficiency (92.2 %) at 250 mg/L COD, 80 mg/L NH₄⁺-N, and 16 h HRT, while excessive COD (450 mg/L) led to a shift toward denitrification, reducing anammox contribution below 5 %. Microbial analysis confirmed a higher relative abundance of Candidatus Brocadia (14.1 %). This study identifies a stable operational window (COD 350 mg/L, NH₄⁺-N 55 mg/L, HRT 12 h) with consistent COD and TN removal (around 90 %). These findings provide a novel framework for optimizing anammox-MBBR in wastewater treatment, ensuring high nitrogen removal efficiency while addressing the limitations of previous studies in handling variable organic loads.